Sept. 25--Mount Dora police officer Austin McKenzie still hopes to return to work this week despite being hospitalized following a violent Monday-night encounter with a hefty dog named Ziggy.
The 26-year-old police, first-year officer described the dog chase, a bloody attack and Ziggy's shooting death while propped in a hospital bed with both arms bandaged.
"Honestly when I got here I thought I was just going to get some stiches and go back to work," he said, adding that it was better the dog bit him instead of a passing child.
McKenzie was helping respond to a call about 7 p.m. Monday complaining that Ziggy, a 100-pound Labrador-German shepherd mix, had just bitten an elderly man. Ziggy had just chewed through a cable tethering and attacked the elderly man near 1311 Highland St., according a police report.
McKenzie found the dog in a field and tried first calm it but Ziggy charged and bit his right arm. McKenzie discharged his Taser but missed just before Ziggy latched onto his left arm. The dog finally final released his hold and fled as McKenzie dropped to one knee and fired several missed shots.
Shortly after, Ziggy was struck by another police officer in her patrol car but continued on the move until the canine was between two homes near the 800 block of McDonald Street. The officer then grabbed her shotgun and twice shot Ziggy, who crawled to a nearby porch and died.
McKenzie was taken to Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares for surgery on his left arm. Ziggy's body was recovered by animal control to be tested for rabies Tuesday.
McKenzie, who has only been a police officer for seven months, says the whole ordeal was exciting, though he admits the dog did get the better of him.
"I went in thinking I was going to do one thing," he said. "And I end up in a dog fight."
Copyright 2012 - Orlando Sentinel
